The u‑blox LARA-R6 and LENA-R8 modules offer global cellular coverage with seamless roaming in small form factors.

u‑blox has announced two additions to its cellular LTE Cat 1 portfolio. The u‑blox LARA-R6 is the smallest LTE Cat 1 module with global coverage on the market. The u‑blox LENA-R8 includes a global navigation satellite system (GNSS) receiver based on the u‑blox M10 platform. Together, the modules comprise five certified global, multi-regional, and regional product variants, simplifying logistics for product developers and increasing design flexibility.

The modules offer device makers facing imminent 2G and 3G network sunsets a future-proof migration path to 4G technology for data streaming applications. Additionally, they offer MQTT Anywhere and MQTT Flex connectivity via u‑blox’s Thingstream platform out of the box, thereby enabling low-power, low-cost connectivity with globally ubiquitous, seamless roaming.

LARA-R6 for maximum performance in difficult coverage conditions

The LARA-R6 professional grade module series features dual Rx (receiver) antennas for reliable signal reception in difficult coverage areas such as indoors as well as for use cases that require voice communication over VoLTE (voice over LTE). The security-focused module provides a root of trust, secure boot, and secure communication with regular security updates. Its unique feature set makes the LARA-R6 an ideal cellular modem for telematics, tracking, and health applications, as well as for alarm panels, smart meters, and point-of-sale devices.

The LARA-R6 series includes a globally certified variant with 18 LTE frequency bands and 2G/3G fallback for universal connectivity. It also includes a variant certified by North American mobile network operators (AT&T, Verizon, FirstNet, or T-Mobile), as well as a multi-regional variant for use in the EMEA, APAC, Japan, and LATAM markets, supporting all the required LTE bands and technologies.

LENA-R8 for cost-sensitive tracking and telematics use cases

The LENA-R8 standard grade module series targets customers in the tracking and telematics markets seeking to minimize costs associated to their bill of material and data charges. The compact module balances cost and performance with single Rx antenna and primarily targets customer deployments in the EMEA, APAC, and South America regions. LENA-R8 supports a broad range of frequency bands with 2G fallback, providing maximum roaming coverage for global tracking applications using a single stock keeping unit (SKU).

A variant of the LENA-R8 series comes with an ultra-low power u‑blox M10 GNSS receiver for high performance asset tracking applications, reducing integration effort and time to market. Making no compromises in terms of GNSS performance, the module can concurrently receive of up to four GNSS constellations for maximum position availability.

Cell locate

All variants of the LARA-R6 and LENA-R8 family support CellLocate, u‑blox’s cellular network-based location service, for coarse positioning data even in the absence of GNSS signals.

LARA-R6 Series, Unique Selling Proposition

• Any region, any band, any technology for simple roaming anywhere in the world

• World's smallest LTE Cat 1 module with global coverage, ideal for size-constrained devices

• Receive-diversity for reliable performance in difficult conditions

LENA-R8 Series, Unique Selling Proposition

• Global LTE and 2G bands for simple roaming anywhere in the world

• Easy migration between u blox form factors due to pin-compatible form factor

• Choose between integrated or stand-alone GNSS, as well as CellLocate